


Silver Hair, and Copper Scales

by Mr_Beans



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: M/M, MerMay, MerMay 2018
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-05-07 00:47:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14659728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mr_Beans/pseuds/Mr_Beans
Summary: Yuuri is just your average teenage merman reaching the last semester of high school and wondering what to do after that. But with the new seasons coming and the summer festival and boat race around the corner Yuuri is finding something strange in the air, something calling him like he's never quite experienced before. How will Yuuri handle growing into a proper adult with two different worlds to juggle. stay tuned.





	Silver Hair, and Copper Scales

**Author's Note:**

> Hi I suck at deadlines! but hey at least chapter one will be in #MerMay how cool is that? this has been collecting dust for like a year now? Hopefully it is like wine and aged well, and isn't like a plastic bag and just stayed the same and is slowly killing the turtles.   
> Is that too dark?   
> Idk?   
> ...  
> Enjoy!

Waves rolled against the soft sand of shore bathed in cool peachy pinks and lemon yellows of the sunrise dancing across the ocean waves. Sea glass and mica, glitter within the soft white sand, matching the way the ocean shimmered under rose gold and silver light. Warm early summer sun shone on the water and shore, warming both with the lazy morning rays.

The beach was quiet, crabs scuttled here and there, waves crashed against the sand, all very still and quiet. Besides the crabs, and occasional birds, there was life on the beach, sleeping happily in a bundle of clothes was a red toy poodle. She to herself was the only stranger on the reef, lying by herself in her one man boat she believed to be her own. But in spite of her opinions she didn’t come alone, she would have had a rough time manning the sail if she’d tried, especially being as lazy a dog as she was. No, though she thought it hers, the boat belonged to her master. A young adult who’d gone diving. Though she loved water and was always invited, she opted to stay on the beach and chaise crabs in her dreams.

Her nap was interrupted by a loud slap. Her little head lifted looking blearily to the waves, a breeze ruffled her curly fur as she scanned for the source of the sound. A little ripple made her leap to her paws, her stubby tail working like a little rudder. The ripple split around a black mop of hair, clinging around the round face of a young man. The poodle leaped from her boat barking a greeting to the man as pulled hair out of his eyes, smiling.

“Hello to you too,” Yuuri laughs. He pulled himself farther onto shore, pressing his upper body onto the dry sand. Vicchan hopped around him yipping happily and bumping into his face excited at his return. Yuuri laughed harder and tried to push her away. “Sit, vi-”  Yuuri was getting bathed in kisses, trying hard to get the unruly pup to calm down, finally succeeding by holding her at arm’s length and shoving her rump to the sand. Then she sat happily panting.

“Good girl. Now, fetch my towel.” Vicchan watched him a moment, blankly, as if he hadn’t been training her to obey this command for nearly a year now. “Towel.” Yuuri repeated, pointing to the boat. Vicchan looked to the boat, then the opposite direction as a bird had landed on the beach. Before Yuuri could try again she was gone, barking at the gull as if it were a threat. Yuuri sighed. She’d done it yesterday, but it was always a gamble.

Yuuri took a deep breath of air, the feeling of fresh clean air strange after a morning diving. He pulled himself a little higher up on the soft sand, feeling the sun stretched across his back, a cool breeze smelling of sun and seaweed made his bare shoulders shiver a little a familiar prickle running down his hip and thigh. He lay out a mesh bag from his shoulders, dumping it out and busying himself with sorting the shells into piles.

One for his mother’s wind chimes small sand dollars and abandoned hermit shells, the bigger unbroken shells for his best friend Phichit, and lastly the biggest and most beautiful shells, the ones Yuuri would polish up and give to his father to sell in their shop.

That last pile was the most important, they were rare because only deep sea divers could collect them. They were expensive on the market to compensate for the price of diving for them. Air tanks, gear, a boat, time and effort. To Yuuri however it was as easy as a leisurely swim. Not that Yuuri himself was better than the other divers, he was quite the opposite. Couldn’t hold his breath longer, nor was he particularly skilled at snorkeling in general, or that his father had a boat with a radar.

No, it is easy for Yuuri to get these rare shells because of the deep gold and copper scales that ran down the curve of his hips and thigh curling around where his legs would be. After all, diving was a breeze for a merman.

He couldn't explain why or how it worked, and though he got it from his mother, she had no answers either. But then again, she had been the real thing, while Yuuri and Mari were only second generation. For her, it took days to revert back and forth, while Yuuri and his sister got a lung full of water and bam he'd grow a tail, to revert he’d only need to breathe clean air, occasionally meaning coughing up water and his legs would return.  

Over the years, he'd learned how to avoid most of the drama he'd noticed common in movies about mermaids. He could swim with friends without any issue, and as far as he could tell he wasn't inclined to magic beyond his tail, so really nothing stopped him from having a life on the land. Though sometimes he wished he could claim it did, if just to get out of school.

The only real hindrance he noticed, was how uncomfortable the transformation was, and the fact that his tail destroyed pants, and embarrassingly underwear. Meaning that unless he wanted a lecture from his mum, he would have to be commando under the tail. So as his tail slowly tingled away into legs, he made darn sure to lay face down with a towel draped over his backside just in case. Or he would when Vicchan was in the helpful mood. The towel was more about his comfort than anything. The reef he’d picked was a secluded place, a small beach in a narrow alcove, too dangerous for fisher boats, and too out of the way for people to wander conveniently. Even if someone had come around the other side of the island they wouldn’t be able to see the thick woods, he’d hear anyone before they saw him.

The itching down his legs calmed to a similar feeling of having your feet fall asleep, so Yuuri pushed himself to his feet brushing sand off his thighs and stomach. It was still early, but Yuuri regretfully had school. In a month, he wouldn’t have to worry about it, being a senior a month from summer was becoming too good to be true and he couldn't wait to be diving for shells and watching fish dance around coral until the sun set. He planned on taking Phichit camping on the island after graduation, they would fish and camp and rough it until Phichit begged to go home to wifi and indoor plumbing. So about a work week.

Yuuri loved swimming above anything else, but it could get lonely, with no-one to talk to or share the adventures he had or the discoveries he’s found with. Sometimes Yuuri felt lonely, though he had friends and family and spent most of the time around people. It was hard for Yuuri, loving the sea as he did, wanting nothing more than to spend all his time in it, because no one he knew felt the same. A perfect day to Yuuri was out on a boat watching the waves tear across the bow, diving down and following a school of fish for hours, laying on a beach and listening to the waves. But in those days, he’d always picture himself alone, after all no one could quite understand what the ocean meant to him.

One day he knew there would be a choice to be made. His mother had made it, Mari had made it a long time ago, they both loved the land too much the people and having companions that weren’t dolphins. But Yuuri wasn’t sure. Phichit had already signed up for fall at uni in the city. He was getting scholarships and housing all settled, and put out of the way. Meanwhile, Yuuri hadn’t even filled out a single application. With Phichit gone, all he had on land was Vicchan and his family. He couldn’t imagine what the point of life would even be on land at that point. The ocean was just so enticing. So warm and kind.

Yuuri turned to watch the waves licking at the rocks in the reef. Some days, he swore he could hear the ocean call his name. Yuuri some days Yuuri never wanted to leave the waves again. He couldn’t imagine how his mum and sister could choose men over the ocean’s seductive waves, the playful tides and kind salty kisses. Yuuri had just drug himself from it and he already wanted to dive back in. How could anyone give that up?

A flash of white shot across the clear blue water, pulling Yuuri's attention. He turned catching movement in the corner of his eyes and almost didn't believe it, as what he saw was impossible. When he’d looked up he was met by the hull of a sailboat only a little bigger than his own. Yuuri’s glasses lay tangled in the shells, but he could make out well enough. A man stood just under the sail reaching up to pull the mast, quick and practices hands guiding the massive wooden body through the water, avoiding the rocks as easily as Yuuri had swimming. It wasn't rare per say for people to try their hands at pulling through this reef. Every summer Yuuri could bet at least two kids tried and dashed them self on the rocks, but never had Yuuri seen someone get this far, this fast, on a full boat, normally it was a windsurfer and they would just barely fit through the reef.

Yuuri leaned down swiping his glasses up, mesmerized by the sight. The man pulling his craft with what had to be incredible strength, manipulating the sail to and fro with a timing and speed only a sailor use to this type of obstacle could calculate. There were times the man was so close to dashing himself on a rock, that Yuuri held his breath, unable to look away but it was as if the man could speak to the tide, instructing the ocean to guide him through unscathed. The man seemed to sing to the ocean, the boat pulled through each tight place again and again, the man navigating as if it were clear water. Yuuri only breathed, when at last the boat made it through safely, then Yuuri gave a relieved sigh.

Yuuri had been sailing since he was born practically, and even he wasn't sure he could have pulled that off in that size of a boat at that speed, it was frankly beautiful. Though Yuuri could navigate the rocks, and had in order to get here, to take it at that speed... the man must be mad, impressive, but insane. Even with glasses he couldn’t quite make out the man on the boat. Squinting against the sun to try and make out who the man was.

Yuuri had some trouble watching the man as he was now silhouetted in the sun rising beyond him, but fascinated by his movements abrupt yet smooth, each clearly intended. Though Yuuri wasn't sure why he stared so much. There was just something about this man and his boat that was spectacular, even after the tremendous feat he’d completed. Yuuri’s excuse was the skill, and curiosity it stemmed. Regarding of why, he was watching when the man turned around facing Yuuri, smiling so brightly Yuuri could see it even with the sun blinding him. The man seemed to asses Yuuri, then lifts a hand to his lips, kissing his hand and blowing it to Yuuri with a wide gesture.

It was then it occurred to Yuuri that he was flashing the stranger this entire time. Flustered and blushing Yuuri quickly dove to his boat grabbing anything available to try and cover up, and though too far to hear, he could tell the man was laughing.

The man and his boat shot away on a breeze, and Yuuri silently ridiculed himself for being so dumb. What if he had still been with tail! Yuuri almost wished that over what had happened. Yuuri barely could make out the man smiling, let alone of he was wearing pants. At very least he had consolation that the man had been too far to see him clearly, all Yuuri had as identification was the man’s silver hair and the way he drove a boat. The stranger at that distance would likely not see much either, hopefully avoiding rumors about him streaking on beaches.

Yuuri dressed, then packed up and took his boat towards town, navigating through the sandy beaches and green trees and bushes by the shore, and through the lock, to the lakes behind his family's house. He could swim the distance faster with his tail, but he never swam in the lake behind their house. The water was quite shallow there and clear enough that on a day as bright as today it would be easy to spot his coppery scales flickering at the bottom of the lake. As fun as it seemed to freak the whole neighborhood out about a giant koi in the lake, Yuuri didn't want to be responsible for their family moving.

As he maneuvered the boat through the water, he passed the back of Phichit’s house. Yuuri called out to the seemingly sleeping home. Looking to the back window on the left side of the house. It took to the count of three before the curtain was torn to the side and the window thrown up, a head with severe bed head popped out.

"FIVE MINUTES!" Phichit called back, looking very much like he'd need more than Five minutes to function as a human. It of course meant Phichit was up playing games all night again.

"You have as long as it takes for me to shower and eat." Yuuri calls back shaking his head.

"OKAY! Um!” He ran his fingers through his bangs catching on his cow lick. “Take your time!" Phichit waved, before disappearing back into his room. Yuuri laughed. One day Phichit would be ready on time, though seeing as they have already had three almost four years of high school and Phichit hadn't yet managed to be ready on time once, it looked like he was running out of time.

Yuuri pulled into his family's boat house smoothly gliding inside, hopping from the deck, tying it down and locking the doors, collecting his shells and towel then scooping Vicchan out of the boat and placing her on the wooden pier. She waited for him to remove her vest then hopped through the door into the yard finding all the smells she knew so well, and likely planned on digging up later even if she knew she'd get a scolding for it. As Yuuri jogged up the back garden to the back door she appeared with twigs in her fur, panting in a satisfied way, a guarantee she had been up to no good. She zipped in as Yuuri opened the back door, claws clicking on wood flooring, her nose in the air as she sniffed the welcoming smell of French toast and bacon. Yuuri smiles at the smell, tapping his shoes off by the door.

"I'm home," Yuuri calls, walking over the wood floors, wandering to the kitchen.

"Running a little late today Yuuri," his father says, a laugh in his voice. Yuuri spotted him at the stove cooking toast in one pan and bacon in the other. His mother sat at the table plate already full, piercing the yoke of her egg.

"I lost track of time," Yuuri said. He places his mesh bag of shells in the sink, rinsing sand off them. "I found a really pretty conch look," Yuuri pulls the shell from the bag offering it for his father to look.

"Very nice," his father confirmed with a nod, eyes crinkling in a smile "But you can't be late for school."

"Even if school's nearly over?" Yuuri jests.

"Especially then." Mother calls from the table with a laugh.

Mari shuffles into the kitchen, wrapped in pj's and her robe, generally looking like she only just rolled out of bed, and knowing her it was likely.

"Yuuri, you have algae in your hair." Mari mumbles. She slipped behind Yuuri taking a slice of bread off the stack placing it in her mouth. Yuuri reaches up, running his fingers through his hair, catching the green slime at the base of his neck and scowling at it.

"I was going to shower anyway,” Yuuri notes Mari grab a plate from the cupboard piling food high onto it. “What are you doing up before noon?"

“What happened to showering?” Mari answers with a question. Yuuri turned to their mum.

“They forgot to deliver our bait again,” Their mother helpfully supplied.

“Maybe we ought to stop sending Mari, the desk guy just has too much distracting charm.”

“Are you saying we should go back to sending you, sir forgot to write our address twice,” Mari says.

“It was three times actually,” Yuuri scoffed. In his defense the receptionist said they had the address on file when they didn't the third time, so it was actually only twice.

“No it is a mix up on their end,” Yuuri's mum turned a grin to Mari as she sat at the table. “Though I can’t say if it was intentional mix up or not just to get you to come out.” Mari gave a heavy eye roll.

“There are more people working in the post office than one receptionist,” Mari said. Yuuri met his mother’s eyes smiling back.

“Your kids would have the prettiest hair,” Yuuri laughs. Mari snorts lifting Bacon to her mouth.

“His blue eyes might bring out your grandmother's green eye gene she was a siren,” their mother smiled dreamily, “I bet he is great at singing.”

“Human genes don’t work that way… besides, I’m not dating a mail man so you can get your deliveries on time.” Mari’s tone was beyond irritated reaching exasperated. She’d been on and off interested in different boys in town since she was 14, and now she seemed perpetually not remotely interested for any one. Focusing more in keeping the family business afloat than settling. A fate Yuuri would no doubt fall into soon as well.

At that thought Yuuri gracefully took his exit, pulling his shell bundle from the sink, and carrying them with him as he makes his way to the bathroom. His mother talking pleasantly about green eyes.

“My cousin has gorgeous aquamarine eyes, and his both his parents had brown. It could happen. Blue eyes bring out the best in all out genes you know,”

“Mum please I’m eating.”

Yuuri climbed up to his room finding Vicchan already curled up on his pillow where she knew she wasn't meant to be. Showered quickly, changed, and then slung his backpack over his shoulder heading down to eat. Mari had left, replaced now with his father. He ate quickly thanking his dad for food then was off to the garage.

Phichit met him out front his house, waving and leaping into the passenger seat in a cloud of adventure.

"What if we just skipped today? It’s Friday, we're graduating soon anyway who would care," Phichit said, throwing his feet on the dash. "I heard Uni is out, we could blend in with the college kids." Phichit turns the bill of his cap frontwards grinning broadly.

"You didn't study for the English exam, did you," Yuuri says giving Phichit a look over his glasses. Phichit sighs, pulling his feet from the dash, and sitting upright.

"Okay… yes. But also! We could go to the arcade and no kids would be there! The summer carnival might even be open,” Phichit nudges Yuuri’s arm.

“How late were you up?”

“Mm three? But Leo and Ji were online, I couldn't just leave to study! Our trio would be a duo."

"How are you already accepted to uni when you're so bad at school… Here," Yuuri reached in the back seat pulling his notebook out and plopping it on Phichit's lap. "You have ten minutes with my notes." Phichit clasped his hands together giving Yuuri thankful smile.

"You are a savior." Phichit, praises. Yuuri laughs pulling the old truck out of park with a clunk, and squeak of breaks.

"You're buying lunch," Yuuri dismissed with a wave his hand.

Yuuri watched the road thinking about school and generally the daunting reality of life after high school. Yuuri pulls up to the school, noting Phichit was rapidly taking notes on the underside off his wrist.

“If I die this day, tell my hamsters their papa lost to a noble foe.” Phichit clutches his phone to his chest. “Tell them that I died, fighting a hydra of subordinating conjunctions in the sea of run on.”

Yuuri pat’s Phichit shoulder before hopping out of the car and giving a supportive smile, “if you can make English jokes, you’ll do fine on the test.” Phichit stepped from the car passing back Yuuri’s notes. He looked into the distance as if thinking deeply on a subject beyond the conversation.

Phichit snapped back smiling his normal happy smile, “I will be cured by the weekend. I hear on good authority that the Uni kids are starting to filter back into town. And you know what that means.”

“It means that you’re going partying and I’m sleeping comfortably in my bed at a reasonable time?” Yuuri knows that’s not very likely even without the gasp Phichit gives.

“You’d abandon your friend in his only cure for exams?”

“Yes.” Phichit feigned a swoon, against a locker, hand over his forehead and everything.

“My own best friend! Oh the treachery.” Yuuri laughed shaking his head at his friend's antics. “I may die.” Phichit fans himself peeking over to Yuuri with a smile.

“Now you’re just stalling your exam.”

“You know my life would be easier if you let me get away with things,” Phichit sighed, pulling away from the wall.

“You’d also be in a lot of trouble,” Yuuri can recall countless occasions where Phichit had a harebrained idea that threatened to get them both into trouble, but Yuuri had been the voice of reason for and saved them not that there weren’t just as many times Yuuri egged the terrible idea on just for the sake of a bet. They arrive at the open door for their English class.

“You know what?” Phichit turns to Yuuri with a warm and broad smile. “You’re right, and I take you for granted.”

“You do huh?” Yuuri can tell by the tone of voice and inflection that Phichit wasn’t just complementing Yuuri.

“Yes, I think that you are such a great friend that as your friend I should treat you to a party.” Yuuri snorted.

“Is that so?”

“Yes! And my goodness, you know this was well planned, because there just so happened to be a party!” Phichit smiles as if he’d done something spectacular. Yuuri gives a sigh, and shoves Phichit into his English class.

“Pass English and I’ll go to any party you want.” Phichit sighed, walking solemnly to his seat, Yuuri following closely behind him shaking his head.

School went as always, a lot of sitting and listening to teachers all one by one try to cram the last few weeks of information into their students before they all were completely distracted by summer. Yuuri and Phichit had tried to take all their classes together for senior year but it hadn’t turned out that way, it was only every other day they had classes together all day. On Fridays though Yuuri had Biology on his own, while Phichit sat through a college maths class in hopes he wouldn't have to suffer though as much math in uni.

It wasn’t all that bad though, Yuuri had a pretty chill lab partner who was taking biology as the last science class in the school he’d not taken. His name was Seung-Gil, and he was wicked smart. Yuuri wasn’t a slacker when it came to projects, but by the time they’d split the work of a project, Seung-Gil was already finished with pretty much the whole thing. The only thing that Yuuri ever ended up doing in their projects was present. Seung-Gil was extremely quiet, and was the kind of person who never really could figure out how to speak up.

Despite that, he and Seung-Gil had become somewhat friends. Thought it was hard to tell with Seung-Gil. He made jokes more the longer they knew each other, and occasionally wound nod at Yuuri when they crossed paths in the halls outside of the classroom. They had lunch together in the library, originally to study together, but now it was more of Seung-gil bringing something from home he’d build, or was studying and tinkering with it while Yuuri did other homework.

They never talked? But Yuuri felt a warmth in the silence that felt like friendship, very different from Phichit, but Yuuri kind of like the strange bond. If not for the friendship alone, than for his grade in biology. Seung-Gil would be another thing Yuuri was going to miss when school let out and they all graduated.

Today at lunch Yuuri was editing a final paper that wasn’t due for another week, while Seung-Gil pulled a random book off the shelf and tried to read it as quickly as possible. Or that is what they planned on doing, it started out that way at least. Seung-Gil had found a book on sailing, and when Yuuri looked over, he saw a familiar boat. It was the same model as the one he’d seen that morning slipping through the reef with ease. Yuuri leaned over to read the name of the model, when Seung-Gil spoke up.

“I hear its wicked fast. Probably still not as fast as you though.” Seung-Gil said, looking to Yuuri. Yuuri felt his heart skip a beat, what was he implying? Yuuri had tried so hard to be careful, he couldn’t imagine when Seung-Gil would have seen Yuuri’s tail. “You win out over all other boats every year after all.” Seung-Gil redefined.

Yuuri felt a wave of relief, Seung-Gil was referring to the end of year race the town hosted each year to celebrate the summer festivals, and the only thing keeping tourist anywhere near their little town. Yuuri was holding a pretty solid three year streak, even against the adult sailors who had been sailing their entire life. It was kind of a tradition, as when his dad was in high school, he’d held a record 4 years winning streak, and now with his help and old boat, Yuuri was cresting the same record.

“I dunno, I’m just lucky I think. With the right sailor, anyone could take me down.” Yuuri knew there were others much better than him by far.

“Skill.” Seung-Gil said softly, before going quiet, his eyes dragging down the page. Yuuri chuckled, if he had skill, Yuuri would be able to clear the reef at the same speed as the stranger from that morning.

Yuuri turned back to the computer, thinking of the man sailing with the ease of a dolphin. Yuuri would kill to sail like that. One day he hoped to meet the man who could cut through water with his boat, like Yuuri could swim.

“You’d lose against something like this,” Seung-Gil muttered softly. Yuuri wasn’t sure he heard right, but he assumed that’s what he’d said.

“Thanks,” Yuuri said unsure if that was the right response. Not sure if it was a threat, or simply a fact Seung-Gil felt like sharing. Either way it was a heartfelt notion, something Yuuri really admired about Seung-Gil in a strange way.

“I thought I saw one in town. It pulled in this morning…” Seung-Gil, put his finger on the page nodding. “Something Latin, in gold lettering on the side…”

“You did?” Yuuri turned back. Seung-Gil nodded firmly.

“They might be tourists. Your record is probably safe.” Seung-Gil said, looking at the picture, “they are docked near your family’s shop like a tourist… it’s likely they won’t stick around.” Yuuri nodded at the information. Wondering just how much this meant to him to know who the stranger in the reef was.

“Interesting.”

“Very.” their thoughtful silence ended with the sound of the lunch bell ringing. Yuuri decided he didn’t care this man wasn’t that important, and another sailor tourist, thinking they owned the coast. It was to no consequence if Yuuri knew the man at the helm of the ship or not, it wasn’t important at all.

When school was out at last Phichit found Yuuri, and together headed home. As always Phichit asked about Biology, though it was getting to the point that Yuuri doubted it was about the class and more about his lab partner. A strange obsession Phichit had grown, ever since the first time Yuuri introduced the two, and they had talked briefly about computers for half an hour. And from then on Phichit made an extra effort to never talk to or see Seung-Gil again, turning red and hiding whenever he waved at Yuuri in the hall.

Yuuri dropped Phichit off at his house, then driving to his own, opening the front door to an overeager Vicchan circling his legs and yipping happily, stubby tail a wagging as it usually was.

“Well hello little girl.” Yuuri kneels to pat the floof on the top of her head. She allowed about thirty seconds of spoiling before she darted out the door barking at an intruding bird. Yuuri gave a smile shaking his head.

The house was empty, which meant he had free reign to play any music he wanted at any volume. He was flipping through his phone hopping up to her room and looked up to the shells still wrapped in netting on the floor of his room.

He thought back to that morning, the beauty of the man running that ship. Well, if he was going to drop off shells anyway, maybe he could chance a look at the boats nearby… Vicchan needed the exercise after all.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading I hope you sick around tell your bros about this! or not, 'tever. I got to go my puppy nephew is gnawing on my laptop so imma go 'kay thank bai!


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